A discharge lamp used to backlight an LCD panel such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) has terminal voltage characteristics that vary depending upon the immediate history and the frequency of a stimulus (AC signal) applied to the lamp. Until the CCFL is “struck” or ignited, the lamp will not conduct a current with an applied terminal voltage that is less than the strike voltage, e.g., the terminal voltage must be equal to or greater than 1500 Volts. Once an electrical arc is struck inside the CCFL, the terminal voltage may fall to a run voltage that is approximately ⅓ the value of the strike voltage over a relatively wide range of input currents. For example, the run voltage could be 500 Volts over a range of 500 microAmps to 6 milliAmps for a CCFL that has a strike voltage of 1,500 Volts. When the CCFL is driven by an AC signal at a relatively low frequency, the CCFL's electrical arc tends to extinguish and ignite on every cycle, which causes the lamp to exhibit a negative resistance terminal characteristic. However, when the CCFL is driven by another AC signal at a relatively high frequency, the CCFL (once struck) will not extinguish on each cycle and will exhibit a positive resistance terminal characteristic. Since the CCFL efficiency improves at the relatively higher frequencies, the CCFL is usually driven by AC signals having frequencies that range from 50 Kilohertz to 100 Kilohertz.
Since resistive components tend to dissipate power and reduce the overall efficiency of a circuit, a typical harmonic filter for a DC to AC converter employs inductive and capacitive components that are selected to minimize power loss, i.e., each of the selected components should have a high Q value. The Q value identifies the “quality factor” of an inductor or a capacitor by indicating the ratio of energy stored to energy lost in the component for a complete cycle of an AC signal at a rated operational frequency. The Q value of a component will vary with the frequency and amplitude of a signal, so a filter must be designed for minimum (or acceptable) loss at the operating frequency and required power level. Also, some DC to AC converter filters incorporate the inductance of the step-up transformer, either in the magnetizing inductance of the primary or in the leakage inductance of the secondary.
A second-order resonant filter formed with inductive and capacitive components is also referred to as a “tank” circuit because the tank stores energy at a particular frequency. The unloaded Q value of the tank may be determined by measuring the parasitic losses of the tank components, i.e., the total energy stored by the tank for each cycle of the AC signal is divided by the total energy lost in the tank components each cycle. A high efficiency tank circuit will have a high unloaded Q value, i.e., the tank will employ relatively low loss capacitors and inductors.
The loaded Q value of a tank circuit may be measured when power is transferred through the tank from an energy source to a load, i.e., the ratio of the total energy stored by the tank in each cycle of the AC signal divided by the total energy lost in the tank plus the energy transferred to the load in each cycle. The efficacy of the tank circuit as a filter depends on its loaded Q value, i.e., the higher the loaded Q value, the purer the shape of the sine wave output. Also, the efficiency of the tank circuit as a power transmitter depends on the ratio of the unloaded Q to the loaded Q. A high efficiency tank circuit will have an unloaded Q set as high as practical with a loaded Q set as low as possible. Additionally, the loaded Q of the tank circuit may be set even smaller to increase the efficiency of the filter, if the signal inputted to the tank has most of its energy in a fundamental frequency and only a small amount of energy is present in the lower harmonic frequencies.
The largest component in a small DC to AC inverter circuit for a CCFL is the step-up transformer. Typically, this transformer includes a primary and a secondary winding coiled around a plastic bobbin mounted to a ferrite core. This type of transformer has two characteristic inductances associated with each winding, i.e., a magnetizing inductance and a leakage inductance. The value of the magnetizing inductance for each winding is measured when the other winding is configured as an open circuit, i.e., a no load state. Also, the value of the leakage inductance for each winding is measured when the other winding is configured as a short circuit.
The intensity of light emitted by a CCFL may be dimmed by driving the lamp with a lower power level (current). Dimming the light emitted by the CCFL enables the user to accommodate a wide range of ambient light conditions. Because the CCFL impedance will increase as the power level driving the lamp is reduced, i.e., an approximately constant voltage with decreasing current, currents in the stray capacitances between neighboring conductors (e.g., ground shields, wiring) and the lamp tend to become significant. For example, if the control circuitry requires that one terminal of the CCFL is tied to signal ground for measuring current through the lamp, the current in the grounded terminal of the lamp will be significantly less than the current flowing into the other terminal of the lamp. In this case, a thermometer effect on the CCFL will be produced, whereby the grounded end of the lamp has almost no current flowing in it and the arc essentially extinguishes while the other end of the lamp is still arcing and emitting light.
The thermometer effect may be greatly reduced by the technique of driving the CCFL, so that the signal at one end of the lamp is equal to and exactly out of phase with the signal at the other end. This technique is typically termed a balanced drive and it may be approximated by driving the CCFL with a floating secondary winding, i.e., neither end of the secondary winding is tied to ground. Moreover, due to the high driving voltage and fairly significant parasitic capacitance between the lamps and chassis, a “floating drive” scheme that drives the two ends of lamps with out of phase AC voltages of the sample amplitude is often required. A single-ended drive may shunt too much current into the parasitic cap at one end, potentially resulting in poor and non-uniform luminance. This may also cause poor backlight performance and short lamp life.
Similarly, External Electrode Fluorescent Lamps (EEFLs) which require higher lamp voltage are often driven in a floating configuration. In addition, the small series intrinsic capacitance may cause the parasitic capacitance in the lamp assembly to divert more current out of lamps. A single-ended drive typically cannot reliably light the lamp.
The floating drive scheme can also be applied to newer light sources, such as Flat Fluorescent Lamps (FFLs). A challenge of the floating drive scheme is how to accurately sense the lamp current in a low cost and space saving manner. Inaccurate sensing of lamp current will result in a poor control of the lamp current, which degrades the lamp life.
One example of an invention that provides efficient control of power switches (MOSFET transistors) supplying electrical power to a discharge lamp such as a CCFL by integrating the switches and control circuitry into a single integrated circuit package is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,814, which issued Sep. 5, 2000, to John Robert Shannon, et al., entitled “Apparatus for controlling a discharge lamp in a backlighted display”, which is incorporated herein by reference. The control circuitry measures the voltages across and currents through the power switches so that the electrical power supplied by the power switches to the CCFL, may be accurately measured.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.